Books and Needlepoint: Reviews by Tori

About the Book: Kaila Guidry has always known she is different. After all, her mother insists Kaila hide her hair under a tin foil shield and a wig before leaving the house. When Kaila meets Jordyn Stryker one day at school, she starts to understand the origin of her mother’s seemingly irrational fears.

Jordyn Stryker was born and raised far from Earth, a starseed, one of six new students sent undercover to Louisinia’s Bush High to learn human ways. When Kaila is pushed to her limit by high school bullying and cruelty, Jordyn steps in and awakens her to a new reality, and to love. Out of loyalty to him, Kaila looks the other way when the real purposes of the starseed begin to unfold.

As the horrific plan behind the starseed visit to Earth moves forward, Kaila and Jordyn, caught in an impossible love, must face who they really are and decide where their true loyalties lie.

Purchase

~Publisher~ ~Amazon~ ~Barnes & Noble~ ~Amazon Kindle~

Tori's Thoughts: Ok, this one wasn't really for me. I think that I was just not in the mood for an alien book. The pace of the book was almost too quick and I found myself deluged with information. I would rather be given some information and then use my imagination to fill in the blanks, rather than be given everything. I also thought that the relationship between Jordyn and Kaila progressed too rapidly to be believable.

However, it did have a good message. Though Jordyn and Kaila came from the same origins, Kaila had been raised on Earth with a human mother and stepfather, and Jordyn had been raised in a hive with other starseeds. For this reason, Kaila was able to grow up unique - but this caused her to be an outsider, so when Jordyn came along, she did anything to belong. When her beliefs are challenged though, will she stay true to herself or become like a starseed? You will have to read it to find out.

~I received a complimentary eCopy from I am a Reader, Not a Writer in exchange for my honest review.~

About the author: As a youth, Liz Gruder saw a series of UFOs with her best friend while riding bikes. Ever since, she’s held a fascination for the stars. An avid reader, she used to hide under her covers and read with a flashlight. She has degrees in English and Psychology from Tulane University, a nursing license and a yoga certification. After going through Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Liz realized how short life is and is now slowly fulfilling her bucket list: she’s been to the Egyptian pyramids (totally awesome and thought provoking) and is now teaching yoga and writing speculative fiction. Starseed is her debut novel.

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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Book Review: Shadow of the Wolf by S.M Pace

Shared by Kristi

Virtual Book Tour of Shadow of the Wolf, March 2 - March 23, presented by Reading Addiction Blog Tours.

Virtual Book Tour March 2 - March 23

March 2 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet

March 3 - Known to Read - Review/Guest Post

March 6 - Must Read Faster - Review

March 7 - Tiffany Reads - Review/Guest Post

March 9 - Lisa is a Bookworm - Review

March 10 - Becky's Barmy Book Blog - Review

March 11 - Pixie Dust Reviews- Review/Interview

March 12 - Books and Needlepoint - Review

March 13 - The Kooky Bookworm - Review/Interview

March 15 - Author Ever Leigh - Review

March 17 - My Reading Addiction - Review

March 18 - Confortable Read - Review

March 19 - Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books - Review/Guest Post

March 20 - Cozie Corner - Review

March 21 - Intriguing Reads - Review/Guest Post

March 23 - RABT Reviews- Review

Title: Shadow of the Wolf
Author: S.M. Pace

About the Book: Toby has always felt like an outcast in his village, but he thought winning a game at the Summer Fair was the answer to making friends. The local boys disagreed and literally threw Toby to the wolves. Stranded in enemy territory with a broken leg, he’s offered two options by the resident werewolves; death or permanent exile from his race.

Although Toby longs to return to his family, he chooses to live. But the werewolf children torment him just like the boys and girls back home. When he fights back and discovers he can wield magic, a crime in his old kingdom, he realizes he’s safer with the werewolves than he ever was amongst his own kind. He even finds happiness and acceptance, until his real sister contacts him with her own forbidden magic.

Fearing for her safety, Toby must decide where his loyalties lie; with the family he grew up with or the werewolves who took him in when his own people discarded him?

Buy Links

~AMAZON~

Review by Tori: I found the book interesting. It did seem to drag in places, but the information that was given in these places was important to the overall understanding of the story.

Even though Toby seemed wise beyond his years with the humans, he grew from an effeminate boy to a masculine young man once he was exiled. He had never felt comfortable with the humans and wasn't able to reach his potential until he was forced to cross a line and live amongst the werewolves. He should have been more of an outcast with them, as they differed greatly in appearance, but he had never felt more accepted.

I can't wait to see what further adventures await Toby, Ora and Ocham!

~I received a complimentary ecopy of this book from Reading Addiction Blog Tours in exchange for my unbiased review.~

About the author: Stephanie Pace is an avid reader of every genre, though fantasy is her favorite. She started writing at fifteen, and never looked back. She currently works as a pre-K teacher by day, and a determined self-publisher by night. When she's not distracting herself with conlanging and world-building, she loves to do cross stitch or escape to the outdoors when the weather is nice. She lives in central Virginia with her boyfriend, and the rest of her crazy, amazingly supportive family close by.

Connect with Stephanie:

Word by Word (blog)

Threads of Magic (Book's Website)

Twitter

Facebook

Please enjoy this excerpt from Shadow of the Wolf:

Intro to excerpt, if needed: Toby’s sister Ora goes searching for her brother, and discovers what the village bullies have done to him.

They couldn’t have. The words echoed inside her head. She reached out quivering hands to brace them on a tree trunk, and squinted into the darkness of the forest. All black, with only the smallest hints of lighter gray. Toby was down there; she could sense him. Beyond the slope, just a few yards away, but it might as well have been miles.

Ora screamed, a ragged, broken sound.

Yellow eyes materialized in the darkness, like candle lights flaring to life. Starlight glinted off its sharp teeth.
It growled at her, a warning.

Ora gasped, but stiffened her legs rather than back away. "Give me my brother. Please."

The werewolf snorted, shaking its head like a dog shaking off fleas. Or perhaps giving her an answer. With another growl, it disappeared. If she followed, she wouldn't get far. Tears pricked her eyes.
Noah, that monster. He had fed Toby to the werewolves.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Desert Rice/Desert Flower by Angela Scott (Book Reviews)

Shared by Kristi

Welcome to the Virtual Book Tour of Desert Flower presented by Reading Addiction Blog Tours - February 18 - March 15!

February 18 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet

February 19 - Books and Needlepoint - Review

February 20 - Bean Counting Mommy - Review

February 22 - Snifferwalk - Review

February 23 - Andi's YA Books - Review/Interview

February 24 - The adventures Within - Review/INterview

February 25 - Author Ever Leigh - Review

February 26 - My Reading Addiction - Review

February 28 -

March 1 - Queen of All She Reads - Review/interview

March 2 - Doodle's Book Blog - Review

March 3 - Reviewing Shelf - review

March 4 - Must Read Faster - Review

March 5 -

March 6 - Oh! The Books That You'll Read - Review

March 7 -

March 10 - A Bibliophile's Thoughts - Review

March 11 - My Neurotic Book Affair - Review

March 12 - My Cozie Corner- Review

March 13 - Book Maven - Review

March 13 - My Seryniti - Review

March 14 - Kaisy Daisy Blog - Review

March 15 - Taking it One Page at a Time - Review/Interview

March 15 - RABT Reviews - Review

Desert Rice

Desert Flower

About Desert Rice: Samantha Jean Haggert is a beautiful twelve-year-old girl—but no one knows it. All they see is an awkward boy in a baseball cap and baggy pants. Sam’s not thrilled with the idea of hiding her identity, but it’s all part of her older brother’s plan to keep Sam safe from male attention and hidden from the law. Fifteen-year-old Jacob will stop at nothing to protect his sister, including concealing the death of the one person who should have protected them in the first place—their mother.

Sam and Jacob try to outrun their past by stealing the family car and traveling from West Virginia to Arizona, but the adult world proves mighty difficult to navigate, especially for two kids on their own. Trusting adults has never been an option; no adult has ever given them a good reason. But when Sam meets “Jesus”—who smells an awful lot like a horse—in the park, life takes a different turn. He saved her once, and may be willing to save Sam and her brother again, if only they admit what took place that fateful day in West Virginia. The problem? Sam doesn’t remember, and Jacob isn’t talking.

About Desert Flower: Bodies have a canny way of finding Samantha Jean Haggert. The first, the dead body of her mama. The second, a naked man in the middle of the Arizona desert. For Sam, dealing with one dead body in her lifetime is more than unfair. Two, is downright cruel.

Seven years after running from West Virginia, Sam's now a young woman of nineteen, trying to put the pieces of her life together with the help of her family—Jacob, Boone, and Laura. But the naked man in the desert spirals her world out of control, resurfacing past hurts, revealing old secrets, and pitting her between two men who via for her heart. Carson, her friend, her first kiss, and the one man who knows everything about her past and loves her despite it. And Turner, the stranger who knows nothing, but who excites and frustrates her all at once.

When bad choices made as a child leads to more bad choices as a young adult, Sam finds herself at a crossroads and is forced to face her demons head on if she plans to have any future at all—with Carson, with Turner, or with anyone. But fixing the wrongs of the past takes time, and learning to forgive herself is damn near impossible.

Buy Links

Amazon

DESERT RICE

DESERT FLOWER

Barnes & Noble:

DESERT FLOWER

iTunes:

DESERT FLOWER

Tori's Thoughts: I read Desert Rice in preparation for reading Desert Flower and am glad that I read them in order. The first book gave me some background and insight into the story that may not have had quite the same punch without reading it. I liked seeing the strong relationship between Jacob and Sam evolve - in the first book Sam is only twelve, but is wise beyond her years due to her circumstances. She has lived through sexual abuse, betrayal, murder, but has also learned how strong family bonds can be, even if they are not related by blood.

Desert Flower starts out seven years later and her relationship with Carson (a boy who had become her protector in Desert Rice) has changed into a physical one. Feeling confused, days later she also sleeps with Turner. This creates one very interesting love triangle.

I enjoyed that Jacob was still so supportive of Sam, even though he knew about both men in her life. You also got to learn more about Laura and Boone in this book - they had taken them in in Desert Rice and without owing anybody any obligation have adopted them as their own. In Desert Flower this relationship solidifies and you see what great people they really are.

The pace of the book was consistent throughout Desert Rice and Desert Flower. The story would move along over a period of days and then jump ahead a few weeks - which was confusing at first, but then I came to expect the jumps in time. This wasn't really my style of book, as I really enjoy fantasy and sci-fi - but I found myself very involved in the story and did not want to stop reading. I have a feeling there is a third book that could come out of this story. My mom just told me that she has written a Zombie series and I am really looking forward to reading those!

REVIEW BY TORI!
(Video added by her proud mom. . . seemed like a good theme song for these books!)

~I received complimentary ecopies of these books from Reading Addiction Blog Tours in exchange for my unbiased review.~

About the author: I hear voices. Tiny fictional people sit on my shoulders and whisper their stories in my ear. Instead of medicating myself, I decided to pick up a pen, write down everything those voices tell me, and turn it into a book. I’m not crazy. I’m an author. For the most part, I write contemporary Young Adult novels. However, through a writing exercise that spiraled out of control, I found myself writing about zombies terrorizing the Wild Wild West—and loving it. My zombies don’t sparkle, and they definitely don’t cuddle. At least, I wouldn’t suggest it.

I live on the benches of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains with two lovely children, one teenager, and a very patient husband. I graduated from Utah State University with a B.A. degree in English, not because of my love for the written word, but because it was the only major that didn’t require math. I can’t spell, and grammar is my arch nemesis. But they gave me the degree, and there are no take backs.

As a child, I never sucked on a pacifier; I chewed on a pencil. I’ve been writing that long. It has only been the past few years that I’ve pursued it professionally, forged relationships with other like-minded individuals, and determined to make a career out of it.

You can subscribe and follow me on my website, where I blog obsessively about my writing process and post updates on my current works. I’m also on Twitter and Facebook, but be forewarned, I tweet and post more than a normal person.

You can connect with Angela at the following places:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Desert Rice
Publisher/Publication Date: Evolved Publishing, June 2012
ISBN: 9781622538546
225 pages

Desert Flower
Publisher/Publication Date: Evolved Publishing, Jan 2013
ISBN: 9781622538607
216 pages